- Some people say they’re being charged $50 a month by Savage X Fenty, a lingerie brand created by Rihanna, after making a single purchase on the site.
- According to a recent report from Vox, many customers say they’ve unintentionally agreed to pay monthly memberships in order to receive discounts, which can only be accessed by “VIP” members.
- Savage X Fenty isn’t the only brand using this business practice. A company called TechStyle created the membership model in 2010, according to Vox.
- Speaking to Insider, some Savage X Fenty customers said they have always been aware of the monthly charge, but often forget to make a purchase on the site, leaving them with non-refundable store credits.
- Although Savage X Fenty offers members the option to “skip” the month, users must remember to do so or they will be charged.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Purchasing garments from Rihanna’s lingerie brand Savage X Fenty isn’t as simple as one might think, according to a new report from Vox reporter Kaitlyn Tiffany.
Unlike competitors such as Aerie and Victoria’s Secret, Savage X Fenty largely earns its profits through a membership program that charges customers $50 per month to get discounts on products from its site. Those who don’t participate in the program are charged higher prices for the same products.
Savage X Fenty bras, for example, can retail for $44. “VIP” members of the site, however, can buy the same item for $17, or even purchase two for $29.
Vox has now reported that some people signed up for the monthly membership to receive discounts like the one listed above, though they did so without knowing they’d be charged monthly. Others have also told Insider that they knew about the $50 charge, but are now stuck with store credits after forgetting to make a purchase each month.
According to Vox, Savage X Fenty clearly states the terms of its membership fee across the brand's website
Despite Savage X Fenty advertising its VIP program across its website, Vox reports that some customers have not noticed the membership charge on their bank statements until weeks or months after making their first purchases, leading many people to spend hundreds of dollars on the site without realizing it.
To see how the brand gets its customers to sign up for monthly memberships, Insider went to purchase a Savage X Fenty product
We chose a camisole that retails for $34, though VIP members can get an $8 discount and buy it for $26.
Upon adding the "CLF Jersey Cami" to our cart, the garment's price changed from $34 to $26. A second item, which we did not intentionally add, was also included in our cart: a "Savage X Monthly Membership."
While the lingerie had a clear price listed next to its photo in our shopping cart, the monthly membership did not.
After clicking the "checkout" button, we were brought to a page that gave some insight into the monthly membership program.
A banner on the side of our shopping cart explained that we'd be saving $8 by applying for the membership, which provides "access to members-only sales and limited-edition pieces."
The banner also says that members are "never required to spend a set amount per month," and can "skip the month" when not interested in buying lingerie. At the bottom of the banner, Savage X Fenty states that customers who do not shop or skip their monthly membership will be charged $49.95 for a store credit.
While the monthly-membership fee was clearly listed, it's also understandable as to why some customers featured in Vox's report say they were unaware of the cost until after they'd been charged.
While we were able to remove the membership from our shopping cart, the Savage X Fenty website continued to promote the discount, encouraging us to add it back to our shopping cart.
Speaking to Insider, Savage X Fenty customers shared varying opinions on the monthly-membership charge
Kathryn Deserto told Insider that she began purchasing from Savage X Fenty three months ago because she "heard and saw a few friends rave about the products."
While Deserto said she doesn't feel deceived by Savage X Fenty's membership program, she does think $50 is too high of a price for the products offered. She also said she's set a reminder on her phone to opt-out of the charge each month, as she once forgot to do so and was left with a store credit.
"I think $50 is a little steep, to be honest," Deserto said. "I wouldn't say it's deceptive - it's clearly stated when you sign up."
https://twitter.com/katie_deserto/status/1160958723441008640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Another customer named Georgia Bray, however, feels differently and said she was unaware of the monthly charge after making her first purchase from the brand three to four months ago.
"I think the charge is deceptive and not clearly stated," Bray told Insider. "The website encourages you to become a member, but doesn't disclose fully about the cost, and also doesn't send reminders if you want to 'skip a month.'"
Bray said she eventually tried to cancel her membership, but faced difficulty from the brand.
"I canceled it and had to spend about 20 minutes on the phone with their customer service helpline that tried to get me to stay with promises of more deals," Bray said of her Savage X Fenty membership.
"Eventually I got so fed up," she continued. "I was a little rude to the woman on the phone, as she just wouldn't cancel it and was clearly working from a script."
https://twitter.com/_50shadesofbray/status/1159411997307486208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Customer Mark Q. was also inspired to purchase from Savage X Fenty in January when the brand was offering a free month of membership. While Mark told Insider they were aware of Savage X Fenty's monthly charge from the outset, they also said they've become accustomed to finding their bank account short of $50 after forgetting to make a purchase.
"I find myself buying items every couple months, mostly because I forget to skip the month," Mark said.
"The monthly charge is a bit ridiculous obviously, being $50," Mark told Insider. "You do end up getting the money back as store credit, but that's all it is, store credit, which is the company's way of ensuring you purchase items regularly."
"They also make it incredibly tedious to cancel memberships, which is why I still haven't done it," they continued. "I just skip the monthly charge, which I forget to do sometimes, but that's on me really."
"I think it's cunning and brilliant, despite having spent way too much money as a result of this," Mark said of Savage X Fenty's policy.
https://twitter.com/cabbage_txt/status/1161268448950964226?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Savage X Fenty isn't the only company using a membership-style business practice
According to Vox, a company called TechStyle created the membership model in 2010 for brands like JustFab, ShoeDazzle, and Fabletics. Like Savage X Fenty - which also uses TechStyle's model and is listed on its website along with those brands - they offer discounts for VIP members who pay monthly fees for exclusive perks.
As with Savage X Fenty, some of those brands are associated with celebrities, like Fabletics, which was co-founded by Kate Hudson.
Vox reports that TechStyle had five million active users in 2018, and also achieved $750 million in annual revenue that year.
Representatives for Savage X Fenty and TechStyle did not immediately reply to Insider's requests for comment.
- Read more:
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- Rihanna's lingerie brand zeroed in on one of the biggest criticisms of Victoria's Secret in the ad campaign for its latest collection
- Rihanna appears to subtly show her disapproval after Victoria's Secret exec apologizes for making 'insensitive' comment about transgender models